Corn and Crab Chowder

I’ve been on a bit of a blogging summer break. I could go on and on about how it has been a jam-packed summer for us, but I know it’s the same for everyone. Life is busy. That’s just the way that it is. I keep thinking it will calm down soon; but I think my friend Jess summed it up when she told me, “you know, you’re not going to get any less busy, right?”

Sometimes, I catch myself thinking, “I will do x, y, and z as soon as I have more time.” The truth is that I can’t keep putting things off until then, because it will never come. This is how life is and I will never do the things I want unless I make them more of a priority. This is living, my friends.

This crab and corn chowder is a wonderful summer meal, especially with Ohio sweet corn being positively scrumptious right now. Despite the seemingly long list of ingredients in this, it really comes together quickly and it’s a great alternative to the more traditional corn chowder we enjoyed last year.

Go get yourself some corn, and whip this up for a tasty weeknight meal. Happy Monday, everyone!

Corn and Crab Chowder

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 serrano pepper, minced

4 ears raw corn, kernels removed and cobs reserved

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup low-fat milk

1 cup water

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shell pieces

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, Serrano pepper, and corn kernels. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

2. Add in cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and paprika and stir to coat the vegetables evenly. Mix in the chicken broth, milk, and water.

3. Add in the corn cobs and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes.

4. Remove the corn cobs and transfer 2 cups of the soup mixture into a blender (with a tightly-secured lid) and blend until smooth. Add the puree back into the pot and stir to combine.

5. Reduce the heat to low and add in the cilantro, crab meat, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.